This application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C § 119(a) of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2004-0009632, filed in the Korean Intellectual Property Office on Feb. 13, 2004, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a printing medium and a printing method for a printer. More particularly, the present invention relates to a printing medium and a printing method for a photo printer.
2. Description of the Related Art
Photo printers that print images taken by digital cameras use various printing technologies such as inkjet, dye sublimation thermal transfer, and direct thermal transfer. Such a photo printer comprises a printing unit that prints an image, and a transfer roller that transfers a printing medium. The printing unit is an inkjet head in the case of an inkjet printer, and a thermal printing head (TPH) in the case of a dye sublimation thermal transfer printer or a direct thermal transfer printer.
Borderless printing is further needed to print these photo images. For this, as shown in FIG. 1, a printing medium 10 used for a photo printer comprises a printing region 1, a top tab region 2, and a bottom tab region 3. Tabs 2 and 3 extend from opposite tabs of the printing region 1, respectively. It is then possible to obtain a printed photo image without borders by printing an image slightly larger than the printing region 1, as shown by the area 4a of FIG. 1, and then cutting the top tab region 2 and the bottom tab region 3 along the dotted lines 5a and 5b when printing a photo image on the printing medium 10.
The printing medium 10 may have various sizes, for example, 4″×6″, 3″×5″, post card size, A6, and the like. Using a printing medium 10 which is smaller than an image to be printed makes it impossible to print the whole image. However, using a printing medium 10 which is larger than an image to be printed makes it impossible to print a borderless image and causes a waste of the printing medium 10.
Generally, one side of the printing medium 10 is used. In a direct thermal printer, the printing medium 10 is inserted in such a way that the color layers for heat-printing a color image face a TPH. Also, in an inkjet printer and a dye sublimation thermal transfer, only one side of the printing medium 10 is used as a printing surface in order to obtain high quality images. In a direct thermal printer, printing conditions such as heating temperature and time for printing, need to be selectively set depending on the sensitivity of the color layers and the kind of printing medium, that is, whether the printing medium is for color printing or mono printing.
Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, when the length 6a of the top tab region 2 and the length 6b of the bottom tab region 3 are the same, any one of the top tab region 2 and the bottom tab region 3 of the printing medium 10 may be inserted into the printing unit first. However, when the length 6a of the top tab region 2 and the length 6b of the bottom tab region 3 are different, the top tab region 2 of the printing medium 10 should be inserted into the printing unit first. For example, if the bottom tab region 3 of the printing medium 10 is inserted into the printing unit first, it is impossible to obtain borderless printing because the image is printed as shown by reference numeral 4b of FIG. 2, and a border 7 remains even after the top tab region 2 and the bottom tab region 3 are cut and removed.
Accordingly, a need exists for a system and method for detecting the insertion direction and other desired information regarding a printing medium to minimize printing errors.